Bakery tray

ABSTRACT

A stacking, cross nesting bakery tray molded from a single homogeneous mass of thermoplastic material and including a rectangular, open grid bottom panel, opposed upwardly extending end walls having vertically registering stacking means along their top and bottom edges, and opposed upwardly extending side walls having a vertical height no greater than half the height of the end walls to permit cross nesting of two vertical stacks of the trays. The end walls and side walls each include means facilitating filling of the tray with packages of bakery products.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [451 July 1 1, 1972 Great PrimaryExaminer-George E. Lowrance Attorney-Beveridge & De Grandi 57 ABSTRACT Astacking, cross nesting bakery tray molded from a single homogeneousmass of thermoplastic material and including a rectangular, open gridbottom panel, opposed upwardly extending end walls having verticallyregistering stacking means along their top and bottom edges, and opposedupwardly extending side walls having a vertical height no greater thanhalf the height of the end walls to permit cross nesting of two verti-BAKERY TRAY Field ofSearch.............

United States. Patent Rehrig [72] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

52 U.S.Cl. [51] Int.

cal stacks of the trays. The end walls and side walls each include meansfacilitating filling of the tray with packages of bakery products.

8 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 1.11D6 33 005 1 224B 22W01 W03 m2 3,341,0548/1967 Hirota....... 3,353,659 11/1967Beesley........................... 3,425,594 2/1969Bridenstine..................... 3,478,892 11/1969 LockwoodPA'TE'N'TEDJUL 11 1972 3.675.815

sum 1 BF 4 I 2 a 2 INVENTOR HOUSTON REHRIG BY 4 3 GPA-14 ATTORNEYSBAKERY TRAY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates generally to molded plastic tray structures of thetype employed to carry a plurality of packages of bakery products suchas loads of bread, and more particularly to such a tray which may bestacked with other like trays when filled, and which may be cross nestedwith like trays when empty.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the marketing of bakery products, andparticularly relatively delicate articles such as loaves of sliced breadwhich are easily mashed, it is convention practice to employ shallowstackable trays to handle a plurality of the individual packages. Onesuch tray is illustrated, for example, in US. Pat. No. 197,672. Theprior art trays have conventionally em played a generally rectangularbottom panel with generally vertical opposed end walls incorporatingvertically registering stacking means along their top and bottom edgesto permit a lurality of the filled trays to be stacked one upon theother. The side walls of the tray, if any are employed, are normallyonly of sufficient height to prevent the loaves of bread from slidingout of the tray so that the contents of the individual trays in a stackof trays can readily be seen. Also, by rotating alternate empty trays90, two vertical stacks may be nested together to occupy only slightlymore than one-half the space of the stacks of filled trays.

While these prior art trays have enjoyed substantial commercial success,they have not been entirely satisfactory in that their use hasfrequently produced the very damage to the bakery products which theyare intended to prevent. For example, it is not uncommon for the wrapperof the package such as a loaf of bread to catch on the top edge of oneof the walls of the tray, or on a protruding edge surface of aninspection or other opening in a wall of the tray so that the packagedoes not drop completely into the tray. This loaf of bread is thenmashed to produce an unsightly and unmarketable product when a secondtray is stacked thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing and other disadvantages of theprior art are avoided in the bakery tray of the present invention byproviding a relatively rigid, strong, yet light weight constructionwhich resists excessive warping upon removal of the tray from theforming mold, resists excessive deflection under normal loads, and whichincorporates novel means for preventing the individual packages frombecoming caught on the upwardly directed edge surfaces of the end andside walls of the tray. The bottom panel is of an open gridconstruction, with the openings in the bottom being bounded byperpendicularly arranged bars each having a cross sectional shapesubstantially in the form of the letter m which provides a very highstrengthto-weight factor for the panel to prevent sagging under load todamage a filled tray stacked therebeneath. The top edge surfaces of theend and side walls are inclined outwardly to reduce the tendency of theproduct to hang thereon, and to act as a cam to assist in loading thetray. Also, handhold and inspection openings in the end, or stackingwall have outwardly directed flanges formed therearound to reduce thetendency or the panel to buckle inward in the area of the openings, andthe lower portion of such openings are generally V-shaped to reduce thetendency of these openings to interfere with the free fall of theproduct into the tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent from the accompanying detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bakery tray embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG.9; and,

FIG. 1 l is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 1lll ofFIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail, a bakery tray embodying the present invention is indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral 10, and is illustrated as beingmolded from a single homogeneous mass of thermoplastic material such,for example, as high density polyethylene. The tray comprises a bottompanel 12, opposed generally vertical end walls l4, l6 and opposed sidewalls 18, 20. The bottom panel 12 has a plurality of square orrectangular openings 22 formed therein to define the open grid patternillustrated in FIG. 2. The openings 22 are bounded by perpendicularlyarranged, integrally joined beam members 24, each having a substantiallysmooth top surface and having a cross sectional shape substantially inthe configuration of the letter M. The downwardly directed legs 26 ofthe beam members 24 provide a relatively high moment of inertia, and acorrespondingly high strengthto-weight ratio for the bottom panel 12.Thus, the bottom panel 12 provides adequate support for a full tray loadof bakery products without excessive deflection which might cause thebottom surface of the panel to sag sufficiently to engage and depressthe top surface of bakery products in a tray stacked thereunder.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the individual beam members 24 positionedaround the outer periphery of the bottom panel 12 are offset withrespect to other beam members in the grid. This offset relation of thebeam members 24 around the periphery of the bottom panel provides, ineffect, an expansion joint which accommodates limited differentialshrinkage between the bottom panel structure and the side wall structureof the tray to thereby minimize the tendency of the bottom panel tobuckle upon removal of the tray from the mold.

The walls I4, 16 are identical in construction, each comprising agenerally vertical, smooth panel 28 having a generally triangular shapedhandhold 30 formed therein, with one leg 32 of the triangular openingextending generally parallel to and spaced below the top edge of thepanel 28, and with the other two legs 34, 36 being included downwardlytherefrom. An outwardly directed flange 38 is integrally formed aroundthe periphery of the handhold 30 to provide stiffness to the panel 28 inthe vicinity of the handhold opening and to minimize the tendency of thepanel to buckle out of its plane in this area.

The panels 28 also have four identical, substantially square inspectionopenings 40 formed therein to permit the contents of the tray to beviewed through the end walls. The square openings 40 are arranged withtheir sides inclined at approximately 45 with respect to the plane ofthe bottom panel 12, and each opening has an outwardly directed flange42 formed around its periphery to stiffen and provide strength for thepanel 28 and to minimize buckling. Thus, the tendency for the lower edgeof the side openings and the handhold openings to buckle inward andthereby interfere with the free fall of bakery products into the tray isminimized, both by the use of the outwardly directed flanges around theopenings and by the configuration of the upwardly directed surfaces ofthe openings which are inclined toward one another and thereby act as acam urging a dropping product inwardly.

As most clearly seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the end panels 14, 16 terminateat their top edge in an upwardly extending flange 50 which is adapted tofit within an elongated upwardly directed groove 52in the lower edge ofthe respective end walls. Flange 50 is preferably inclined outwardlyapproximately with respect to the vertical, and a plurality ofintegrally molded gussets or web members 54 reinforce the flange 50 atspaced intervals therealong. Gussets 54 connect the flange 50 with asubstantially E-shaped beam portion extending along the upper edge ofthe end walls, with the inclined flange 50, the gussets 54, and the beam56 cooperating to provide substantial strength and rigidity to the topof the end walls. Vertical webs 58 extend between the beam 56 and anoutwardly and downwardly inclined flange 60 which defines the outerportion of the groove 52.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, groove 52 is defined by a plurality ofreinforcing webs 62 integrally joining the flange 60 and flange 64.Also, a plurality of integrally molded gussets 66 connect the bottomedge of flange 64 to adjacent beam members 24 at spaced intervals aroundthe periphery of the bottom panel 12 to reinforce the connection betweenthe bottom panel and the end walls. Gussets 66 terminate at their innerend in a shoulder 68 adapted to engage the outer surface of side walls18,20 of a similar tray nested therebelow to interlock the nested traysas will be described more fully hereinbelow. Gussets 66 are dimensionedto provide minimum interference with bakery products in a tray stackedtherebelow.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the side walls 18, and end walls 14, 16 arejoined together at the respective corners of the tray by a corner postsection 70 of the same height as the end walls. The posts 70 act as alateral brace, adding substantial strength and rigidity to the end wallsat the comers of the tray. Also, an upwardly extending web 72 on the topof each post section 70 forms, in effect, a continuation of the stackingflange 50 extending around the corners of the tray in position toproject into the open bottom end of a corresponding post 70 when thetrays are stacked to interlock the stacked trays against movement in adirection parallel to the end walls.

Each of the corner posts 70 have an inclined lateral surface 74 whichfacilitates cross nesting of the trays by providing a wider opening atthe top of the tray than at the base of the corner post. Inclinedsurface 74 merges into a short horizontal stacking platform 76 on thetop of the respective side walls 18, 20 at opposed ends thereof, toprovide a horizontal support or seat for a nested tray. The inner edge78 of platform 76 is positioned to engage the shoulder 68 of a traynested thereon to interlock the trays against relative movement. Supportsurface 76 extends along the top of side walls 18, 20 only a distancesufficient to extend beneath and engage one bottom beam 24 at each comerof a tray nested thereon.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, walls 18 and 20 are made up oflaterally spaced inner and outer panels 80, 82, respectively joinedtogether at their top edges either by the platform 76 or by the inclinedweb element 84 to define a hollow, inverted channel structure. The sidewalls are reinforced by a plurality of webs 86 joining the panels 80, 82at spaced intervals along their length to provide a light weight, strongbeam construction. The top web 84 is illustrated as being inclined atapproximately 45 with respect to the plane of the bottom panel 12,thereby serving to facilitate loading the tray by acting as a cam toguide any package contacting the top of the side wall into the interiorof the tray.

From the above, it can be seen that the molded plastic bakery trayaccording to this invention is a substantial improvement over the knownbakery tray. The cam surfaces along the top of the end and side wallsprovide a very simple, yet effective means for eliminating theperplexing problem of packages of bakery products, particularly loavesof bread, hanging or becoming fouled on the top of the tray during theloading operation and thereafter being mashed by a second tray stackedthereabove. A similar problem is effectively overcome by the V-shapedupwardly directed surfaces of the handholds and inspection openings incombination with the reinforcing flanges around the openings whichminimize the tendancy of the pannels to buckle. The adverse effect ofany limited inward buckling is overcome by the camming action of theV-shaped openings which tend to urge the packages inward as they drop sothat they fall onto the bottom of the tray.

While I have disclosed and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, I wish it understood that I do not intend to be restrictedsolely thereto, but that I do intend to include all embodiments thereofwhich would be apparent to one skilled in the art and which, within thespirit of the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a molded plastic bakery tray including a rectangular bottom wall,opposed generally vertical end walls having vertically registeringstacking means along their top and bottom edges, and opposed side wallshaving a height no greater than one-half the height of said end walls topermit cross nesting of two vertical stacks of the trays, theimprovement comprising first outwardly inclined camming surface meansextending along the top edge surface of said end walls for substantiallythe full length thereof, said first camming surface means forming anoutwardly flaring extension of the inner surface of said end walls, andsecond outwardly inclined camming surface means on the top of said sidewalls and extending substantially the full length thereof, said secondcamming surface means forming an outwardly flaring extension of theinner surface of said side walls, said first and second camming surfacemeans cooperating to cam bakery products inwardly when said productsengage the top surface of said end walls and said side walls when thebakery products are being loaded into said tray whereby the tendancy ofthe bakery products to become fouled on the top of said end and sidewalls is greatly reduced.

2. In a bakery tray as defined in claim 1, the further improvementcomprising a generally triangular handhold opening in said end walls,said triangular handhold openings each having one side edge extendinggenerally parallel to and spaced below the top edge surface of itsassociated end panel and its remaining two side edges extendingdownwardly and inclined inwardly toward one another, and outwardlydirected flange means reinforcing said end walls adjacent the peripheryof said handhold openings.

3. In a bakery tray as defined in claim 2, the further improvementcomprising a plurality of inspection openings formed in each of said endwalls in spaced relation to said handhold opening, said inspectionopenings each having a pair of lower edges inclined toward one anotherin the general configuration of an upwardly open V whereby the tendencyof bakery products being loaded into said tray adjacent said end wallsto become fouled on said inspection openings is reduced.

4. In a bakery tray defined in claim 1, the further improvement whereinthe stacking means extending along the top surface of said end wallscomprises an outwardly and upwardly inclined flange, the inner inclinedsurface of said flange defining said first camming surface, andintegrally molded webs reinforcing said flange at spaced intervals alongthe outer surface thereof.

5. In the bakery tray defined in claim 4, the further improvementcomprising gusset means integrally molded with and extending downwardlyfrom said bottom wall at spaced intervals around the outer peripherythereof, said gusset means connecting said bottom wall with said endwalls and said side walls to reinforce said crate.

6. In the bakery tray defined in claim 5, the further improvementcomprising shoulder means on said gussets adapted to engage the tops ofsaid side walls to locate said tray with respect to a similar traynested therebeneath and rotated 90 with respect thereto.

7. In a bakery tray as defined in claim 6, the further improvementwherein said bottom wall is of open grid construction and comprises aplurality of longitudinal beams extending parallel to said side wallsand a plurality of transverse beams extending parallel to said endwalls.

8. The bakery tray defined in claim 7, wherein said parallel and saidtransverse beams have a cross section in the general configuration ofthe letter M, and wherein said bottom walls are connected to said'sidewalls and said end walls by beams offset with respect to other beams insaid bottom wall parallel thereto.

* l t I

1. In a molded plastic bakery tray including a rectangular bottom wall,opposed generally vertical end walls having vertically registeringstacking means along their top and bottom edges, and opposed side wallshaving a height no greater than one-half the height of said end walls topermit cross nesting of two vertical stacks of the trays, theimprovement comprising first outwardly inclined camming surface meansextending along the top edge surface of said end walls for substantiallythe full length thereof, said first camming surface means forming anoutwardly flaring extension of the inner surface of said end walls, andsecond outwardly inclined camming surface means on the top of said sidewalls and extending substantially the full length thereof, said secondcamming surface means forming an outwardly flaring extension of theinner surface of said side walls, said first and second camming surfacemeans cooperating to cam bakery products inwardly when said productsengage the top surface of said end walls and said side walls when thebakery products are being loaded into said tray whereby the tendancy ofthe bakery products to become fouled on the top of said end and sidewalls is greatly reduced.
 2. In a bakery tray as defined in claim 1, thefurther improvement comprising a generally triangular handhold openingin said end walls, said triangular handhold openings each having oneside edge extending generally parallel to and spaced below the top edgesurface of its associated end panel and its remaining two side edgesextending downwardly and inclined inwardly toward one another, andoutwardly directed flange means reinforcing said end walls adjacent theperiphery of said handhold openings.
 3. In a bakery tray as defined inclaim 2, the further improvement comprising a plurality of inspectionopenings formed in each of said end walls in spaced relation to saidhandhold opening, said inspection openings each having a pair of loweredges inclined toward one anothEr in the general configuration of anupwardly open V whereby the tendency of bakery products being loadedinto said tray adjacent said end walls to become fouled on saidinspection openings is reduced.
 4. In a bakery tray defined in claim 1,the further improvement wherein the stacking means extending along thetop surface of said end walls comprises an outwardly and upwardlyinclined flange, the inner inclined surface of said flange defining saidfirst camming surface, and integrally molded webs reinforcing saidflange at spaced intervals along the outer surface thereof.
 5. In thebakery tray defined in claim 4, the further improvement comprisinggusset means integrally molded with and extending downwardly from saidbottom wall at spaced intervals around the outer periphery thereof, saidgusset means connecting said bottom wall with said end walls and saidside walls to reinforce said crate.
 6. In the bakery tray defined inclaim 5, the further improvement comprising shoulder means on saidgussets adapted to engage the tops of said side walls to locate saidtray with respect to a similar tray nested therebeneath and rotated 90*with respect thereto.
 7. In a bakery tray as defined in claim 6, thefurther improvement wherein said bottom wall is of open gridconstruction and comprises a plurality of longitudinal beams extendingparallel to said side walls and a plurality of transverse beamsextending parallel to said end walls.
 8. The bakery tray defined inclaim 7, wherein said parallel and said transverse beams have a crosssection in the general configuration of the letter M, and wherein saidbottom walls are connected to said side walls and said end walls bybeams offset with respect to other beams in said bottom wall parallelthereto.